Final Exam Film Plan

1. When will you shoot this assignment?

Most of the film is already shot, but the part of me talking to the camera will be filmed this weekend.

2. Where will you shoot?

The narration will be filmed in my guest room studio, while the rest of the shots that tell the story will be pretty much around the world.

3. What will you be documenting or telling your "story" about?

Im telling my story of cinematography, how i have come to this career and obsession, what I am doing with films, my goals of my films, and the future of my cinematography.

4. What equipment needs will you have to get this finished?

I will be using my Nikon D7200, My brothers Mic, My Tripod, The churches Lights, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Affects, And probably more stuff, But Ive got it covered.

5. Make sure to describe the process, by this I mean, where will you use the video portion, where will you use still images, where will your narration be, etc?

The film will start off with narration, then cut to film of my past and of footage of past films and learning how to use a camera, then to present day films, then to narration of my future plans in my film. Still images will be used all throughout, especially when talking about how I have come to be associated and involved in film. Ive been planning on making this film for a while, but haven't had the initiative and time to make it. But now that we have this assignment, I was like why not take down to assignments in one, and make the product overall as good as I can make it. I am very excited to start working on this film and to show it to the world so they can have a understanding on why I do what I do.

HDR Photography Intro

1. What manipulations to the camera will you need to make to create an HDR image?

Its very helpful to use a Auto Exposure Bracketing feature to make the photos go faster, making the time between each shot much less. So that the subject doesn't move while your manually changing the exposure of each shot.

2. What equipment will we use to take this type of image?

You will definitely need a tripod, photo editing software, and well.. a camera obviously.
3. What is the reason someone might take an HDR image?

Say your taking a picture of the mountains, and the sky is really bright, making the mountains only a sillougheted outline that you cant see in the photo, with HDR it shoots multiple photos of different exposures and combines them together so you can see everything in full, correct exposure.
4. What can we expect to happen with the images once we merge them together, what will we see that we might not have seen with just one photo?

HDR makes the photo seem very pretty and attractive, since you can see everything in the shot at the right amount of exposure. It makes you feel like you are there since in real life your eyes automatically pretty much do HDR, but with a regular photo it throws your eyes off a little due to the lack of everything being equally exposed.

CE #6.2

1. What was the percentage of voters who rejected Proposition 1 regarding ride sharing in Austin? Page A1 "Prop 1 defeat sparks..."
56% Of the voters chose against, proposition one and ride sharing in austin.
2. What provision of the campus carry gun laws is UT-Austin planning to implement that other 
schools do not plan to do? Page A1 "UT gun rules likely...." HINT: the answer is on this page, not on the jump
The proposed rule is to say that people carrying concealed hand guns are not allowed to have it loaded, meaning no bullets can be in the chamber, to make sure there are no accidental discharges.
3. Why do experts say "El Chapo's" new prison a bad place to hold him? Page A8 "El Chapo's new prison..."
The experts say his new prison is a bad choice since he practically has control of that area, meaning it will be easier for him to pull some strings and find some way or another to escape.
4. What is Petcube? page B5 "It's like Skype for Fido"
Petcube is a new pet savy device that allows pet owners to talk to their pets while they are away from home, play with their pets using a laser pointer, and see what their pets are doing with a camera.
5. Who won the Kentucky Derby yesterday? Page C1 "Nyquist could face...."
Nyquist the horse and his trainer won the Kentucky derby and are preparing to heading to baltimore for preparation  of the next race.

Short Answer:

Have you ever used Lyft or Uber to get a ride somewhere?
If you have, what was your experience like?
If you have not, do you think that ride sharing is something you might use in the future?

Do you think ride sharing is a good thing for a community like Austin?
What do you think the differences between ride sharing companies and a taxi cab company?
Should they be held to the same standards regarding safety issues?

Personally I don't really like the idea of a stranger driving me around, and in that principle I have never used Lyft or Uber and don't plan on doing so soon. Its from a lack of trust, thats where my worry is rooted, because I have never met the people that would be driving me around, and if I needed to get picked up from my house, it would mean they know where I live from that point on. But for adults, I think it can actually work, and when I am an adult, it might be something I consider. Austin does need more transportation and car pooling so I would absolutely say we need more ride sharing, it doesn't matter if its lyft, uber, or just taxis, if there are less cars on the road its better for everyone and for the city. The difference between the two is that taxi drivers are hired by companies based in austin, and are background checked much more carefully than online uber drivers. Also taxi cab companies are more involved in the government than uber and lyft are, which is another reason it was harder for them to stay here in austin since they were taking business away from the taxi companies. Either way though its a stranger driving you around, and they should all be held to the same safety standards and rules.

Sea You Later Pirates!

Paul Greengrasses "Captain Philips" tells the dramatic story of Richard Phillip and his crews conflict with some pirates at sea. The film itself is a powerful journey of the Maersk Alabama being Hijacked by Somalian pirates. The ship was originally on a cargo delivery path to Mombasa from the United States. The captain chose to take the fastest and most efficient way to Mombassa, but it meant they would be awfully close to the somali coast. Which ended up making it very easy for the pirates to take over their ship. During the hijacking Captain Phillips is taken hostage by the pirates to search for the rest of the crew, who are wisely hiding in the engine room of the ship. Muse, captain of the pirate crew, ends up being taken hostage by the crew, so the pirates and the crew make an exchange, captain for captain. But the pirates don't uphold their side of the deal and leave the ship on a life boat with captain phillips, heading for the somali coast. Only to then have to deal with the SEALS, and all of america making sure this man comes home alive, no matter the cost. Captain Phillips is played by Tom Hanks, who does a fantastic job acting in this movie, there was never a point that the audience doesn't believe he is the real captain phillips. On the other hand the main pirate, Abduwali Muse is played by Barkhad Abdi. Barkhad does very well as muse and actually won many awards for his performance in the film. Those are the two characters who are focused on the most, but there are still a lot of people you could consider "Important Characters". Like Shane Murphy who is played by Michael Chemus, he is the side captain of the ship who follows Philip around during the first half of the movie. As well as the other 3 pirates, Najee, Elmi and Bilal. Who are played by Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, and Barkhad Abdirahman. In which all do a great job playing as Somalian pirates who have to make hard decision in order to achieve their goal and to prevent their own demise. The last character worth mentioning is the SEAL Commander, acted by Max Martini. He is mainly a side character since he shows up so late in the film, but he does have a lot of roles during his screen time and is the one making some of the bigger decisions near the end of the movie. The movie covers many themes and sends out quite a few messages, and one of the most prominent ones, was a theme of co-operation through conflict. This really plays into the film in many different aspects like the relationships between the pirates, between the crew, the crew and the pirates, and all of them in relation to the SEALS. The pirates not choosing to cooperate ends up putting them in a worse situation than they started in, and if they would have just followed directions, their piracy would have been beneficial to them, and nobody would have gotten hurt. Another theme was one of mercy, all throughout the film, the captain is trying to keep his crew safe no matter the cost, but yet is not willing to murder in cold blood any of the pirates if its needed. He even finds some good in the pirates and is able to put himself in their shoes, to see how hard their life is, and how they don't really have a choice in what they are doing either. Its a interesting contrast, when a film makes the bad guys seem not so bad, and this film definitely does this very well in my opinion. The movie is directed to a young adult and on audience, there is some foul language, and some very stressful scenes. Its rated pg-13 for a reason, so no 10 year olds should be seeing a movie like this, but they probably will anyways. Either way really only teenagers and above can understand and fully engage the movie. When it comes to cinematography, this film is spot on, and has its own style and rules it sticks to throughout the whole story. There are lots of helicopter shots, depth of field shots, and slightly shaky through hallway action sequences. As a cinematographer myself, I especially payed attention where the camera was, and the reason for what the camera was doing. For story telling, many critics say that the film makes captain phillips seem to much like a hero, when in real life he didn't do that much, he was just caught in the middle of all the conflict. They also say that they didn't focus enough on the fact that it was captain phillips fault they were boarded because they were boating to close to the coast, and that he knew the danger of doing so the whole time. The story thats told through the film, whether it be fully accurate or not, still is very powerful and inspiring. It subsequently makes you ask many moral questions of yourself, and makes the entire audience really think about the decisions of the characters, and the reasons behind their choices. Overall the film does a fantastic job at keeping the audience interested, telling a good story, and driving some moral themes home. So on a scale of one to ten buckets of jelly beans, its a 8 and a half buckets of jelly beans. I highly encourage everyone who is of a appropriate age, to go and see this film, you will not regret doing so.

Movie Review Preview

1. Name of the publication

Captain America : Civil War EW Review

2. Name of the writer

The writer is Chirst Nashawaty

3. Grade or score the movie review on a 1-10 scale in your opinion

I thought the movie review was fantastic, since it didn't spoil anything that wasn't already known. Yet it also showed the writers opinion and thoughts on the upcoming movie. I would say a 7-10.

4. High Points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.)

Chris spent a good amount of writing talking about the cast, and how many new faces are being added to add to the depth of the movie. As well as how the film messes with your opinion on whose side you would fight for, constantly switching your perspective to help make the movie very involved with the audience.

5. Low points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.)

The main low point of the movie that the writer pointed out was the so-so side villain that could have been removed, but also is a great villain. Chris doesn't seem to have a solid opinion on whether the villain should be in the movie, but realizes that if it even has to be discussed there is a problem.

6. Quote a paragraph from the review that you think expresses the overall opinion of the reviewer about the movie.

Civil War generously gives everyone in the cast just the right amount to do, whether it’s showcasing their gee-whiz smashy-smashy gifts during one bravura battle royal set at the Leipzig airport, or allowing them to have a slower beat of character development that one assumes is the main reason for serious actors to sign on to these CGI behemoths (aside from the obscenely large paychecks, of course).

1. Name of the publication

The Jungle Book Review

2. Name of the writer

The review is by Matt Zoller Seitz

3. Grade or score the movie review on a 1-10 scale in your opinion

I would say the review is a 8.5-10 since it is very in depth and lengthy.

4. High Points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.)

First off, the writer talks about how pretty much every scene is mainly animate, and that the characters are literally sitting in some green screen room in la, having to pretend they are there, total commitment really does pay off. The cinematography, which is mainly done in the computer is absolutely gorgeous, there is never a shot that seems to not look gorgeous and visually stunning according to the reviewer. And the plot and characters of the movie all together added to become a great rendition of the old tale.

5. Low points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.)

The reviewer pointed out that he thought there was definitely a lack of music in the film, how there were conversations in the film that if they had a sweet melody behind them would have made it 10 times more powerful and inspiring.

6. Quote a paragraph from the review that you think expresses the overall opinion of the reviewer about the movie.

In every way, this quietly majestic film should be considered a triumph. The familiar, picaresque story of a young boy raised by forest creatures but fated to re-join Man has been re-imagined as a funny, scary, affecting family adventure with mythic heft but a refreshing lack of swagger. It was made with the latest in movie-making technology but has the ethical values and wide-net storytelling sensibility of an Old Hollywood classic. At its best it feels as though it always existed and we are only now discovering it. 

Captain Philips

1. Who are the main characters you would expect to see in the movie, based on the real life events?
Of course Philip, then Abduwali Muse and Najee, and the crew that was on board with him.
2. Briefly, in 2-3 paragraphs, tell me what you expect the plot to be in the movie, based on the real life events?
From the articles, it seems that Philip and his crew will boat out to close to the somali coast and be taken hostage by some Somalian pirates. I read an article saying the Philip was warned the area had a lot of pirates at the time but he disregarded it since he wanted to get from point a to point b as fast, and as efficiently as possible.
3. Why was this story important?
This story showed the conflict that phillip and his crew had to go through when they were attacked by pirates, and the whole background and side storys that lead up to the event.
4. Why did the pirates try to take the ship?
It seems as if the pirates didn't want what was on the ship, but rather the ship itself, and they found use for capturing the people on it. By doing so they could negotiate with the FBI to make a deal so they could get something from returning the captain safely.

1. List the five most important actors in the film.
Tom Hanks plays Captain Philip, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman
2. What is the movie rated?
The movie is rated Pg-13
3. Who directed the movie?
The movie was direct by Paul Greenglass
4. Who was the producer?
The producers were Micheal De Luca, Scott Rudin, and Dana Brunetti.
5. What awards did it win?
Bafta Best supporting actor as well as best adapted screenplay.
6. How much did it cost to make?
The film cost 55 million dollars to produce, yet it made 218 Dollars.
7. How was it received by audiences?
People thought it was fairly good film, receiving a 93% on rotten tomatoes.
8. What did other movie reviews think about the movie?
There were many reviews that said the movie made captain phillips a hero, when in real life he is really a selfish man who put his whole crew in danger just for money. I read many articles saying the movie shouldn't even be considered "based on a true story" since they stretch out the heroism of phillip, when in real life he wasn't even really the one who got them out of their situation. 

Final Exam Preview

1.) Summarize what you watched and read about - let's say 2-3 paragraphs of 3-4 sentences

From the short videos I relearned the basics of Imovie, like impoting, managing clips and all that stuff. The first film I ever made was on IMovie and many after that, this program is what started my passion, so I know it fairly well, But I do know premiere better at this point in my life.

2.) Tell me one thing that you already knew about iMovie that the website explained

Like I said before, I already knew the basics and since I am a cinematographer who has used multiple programs to edit films I have a pretty good Idea at what im doing.

3.) Tell me one thing that you learned new today that you didn’t know before.

I did not know you could add special effects like lightining in Imovie, thats actually pretty cool and you can't do something like that in premiere, only in after effects.

4.) What are you concerned about with this final project?

Im concerened Imovie won't allow me to have as much editing effeciency and freedom that I usualy do, but I think I will be fine.

5.) Are you confident you can complete early and have ready to use?

Absolutly, one of my most viewed videos I made in 3 hours of editing (thats no time compared to any of my other films), which goes against my code since I like to let it set for a little while and make sure its as polished as it can be.

6.) If I asked you today, what do you think you will do for your video?

Well since we have a lot of freedom on the story we want to tell, 

First Idea: Up to the top, I would make a short film about climbing trees and have all different views and perspectives on the journey up to the top.

Second Idea: I want to make a silent short film with an inanimate object like a basketball or such and its journey rolling around looking for true love like another basketball, I would make it funny, and very cinematically appealing.

Third Idea: Make a movie about making movies, wouldn't that be interesting.
Im going to make a film about my story of cinematography, how ive come do what i do, and why I do it.